Former United States First Lady
Michelle Obama says she's in therapy, and it's helping her transition to what
she thinks is going to be the next phase of her life.
According to a short video clip
posted by the Daily Mail US, Michelle said she started the therapy journey
after going through a ‘hard thing’ in her life.
“At this phase of my life, I'm in
therapy right now because I'm transitioning, you know? I'm 60 years old,” she
said.
“I've finished a really hard thing
in my life with my family intact, I'm an empty nester, my girls are in—you
know, they've been launched.”
Michelle said she's got 'other
voices' to talk to and a 'new person that's getting to know me' as she works
through things.
"I now don't have the excuse
of, 'well, my kids need this,' or 'my husband needs that,' or 'The country
needs that.'"
“So, I'm getting that tune-up for
this next phase because I believe this is a whole new phase in life for me. And
I now have the wisdom to know—let me go get some coaching while I'm doing it,”
she said.
She told Daily Mail that
therapy is a 'tune-up for this next phase' in an attempt to 'unwind some old
habits and sort through some old guilt.’
Michelle encouraged anyone who needs
mental health services to try and get access to a therapist.
“I am an advocate of it. Everybody
needs to find their form of it, the best way they can,” she said.
The Obamas have been married for 32
years but have faced ongoing rumors about their marriage status over the last
few months.
Michelle has been open about her
marriage struggles throughout the years, particularly on her new podcast, IMO
(In My Opinion), which she hosts with her brother, Robinson.
Earlier in the year, Michelle spoke
out against rumours that her marriage to Barack Obama might be in trouble.
The former First Lady did not
accompany her husband to several high-profile events—including Donald Trump's
inauguration and the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter—fueling
speculation that they might be separating.
Without explicitly mentioning these
occasions, Michelle told the Work in Progress podcast hosted by actress
Sophia Bush that she was now in a position to control her own calendar as a
"grown woman."
She said that people were not able
to believe that she was "making a decision" for herself and instead
"had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing."
Michelle shared that she felt some
guilt for stepping back from certain duties.
"That's the thing that we, as
women, I think we struggle with—like disappointing people," she said.
"I mean, so much so that this
year people couldn't even fathom that I was making a choice for myself, that
they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing.
"This couldn't be a grown woman
just making a set of decisions for herself, right? But that's what society does
to us."
